Is there any documented case of a commercial plane crash having been caused by a passenger's smoking?

Answer 1

Does 23 deaths count? Someone was smoking in the washroom, didn't extinguish his butt properly, it started a fire. The plane didn't crash, though.

http://www.sceneandheard.ca/article.php?id=570

Stan Rogers

Folk singer Stan Rogers got his first guitar at age five: <. . .> [he] released four albums (several more were released posthumously.)

Rogers was flying home on Air Canada Flight 797 on June 2, 1983 when a fire started in the plane’s washroom. The aircraft made an emergency landing at Greater Cincinnati Airport. Half of the 46 passengers perished, including Rogers, who died of smoke inhalation.

The accident had significant repercussions in the airline industry. The Federal Aviation Administration began testing the fabrics of commercial aircraft for flammability, and installed flame-blocking layers on all seats. Air Canada began to require smoke detectors in all washrooms, and installed lighting on floors to make the aisles more visible in heavy smoke.

Answer 2

Yes!

In 1983, an Air Canada flight from Dallas to Toronto caught fire in-flight because a passenger tossed a cigarette in the trash in one of the bathrooms. The pilot did manage to make an emergency landing at Cinncinnatti, OH, but 23 of the 46 passengers aboard died.

Setting aside the health arguments, that was the beginning of the end of smoking on aircraft. It's the reason that there are smoke detectors in the bathrooms on board all civil aviation aircraft, and the reason for the heavy fines for tampering with them.

Answer 3

I don't think that passenger's smoking can cause a plane crash, but smoking is not allowed for many reasons, because in case of crash the most important danger is fire, so a single cigarette can cause a big fire if there is fuel flowing out.
And smoking is now forbidden in many pubblic spaces in many countries, like bus,train,cinema,hospital,offices,restaurants,cafè....so there are no reason because smoking should be allowed in airplanes.

Answer 4

Probably, but that's not the only reason it's banned. Cigarette and cigar smoke is bad for the air conditioning and pressurization systems in airplanes, which means higher repair bills for the airlines. Plus, all that smoke concentrated in an aluminum tube is bad for the health of others. Smoke if you want, I don't care, but I don't want to be subjected to it in a confined space with no escape.

As a pilot, fire in flight is one of the worst things you can have, so the less chance of it, the better.

Answer 5

Whether there is or not, the mere possiblity should be enough to make smoking prohibitive. It would be very easy for someone to drop a still glowing butt into the lavatory trash filled with paper. An onboard fire is about the worst scenario you can have.

Answer 6

No, years ago smoking was allowed in-flight, but prohibited on take offs and landing. Then the health nuts got involved and the smoke issue went out the window. That is why we keep them closed these days.

Answer 7

go to airdisaster.com.
you will have some spooky stories of plane crash.

icemangil

Answer 8

no